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August 08, 2015

Wondermama: For True Malaysian Foodie

Hello guys!

One of the upside of being a Malaysian is the food. It is the absolute truth that most of our people appreciate good foods and are willing to travel and spend money just for finding the best food spots all over the country; be it a street vendor, a coffee shop, a posh restaurant etc. Not just that, do you notice how we usually find excuses in order to try out new delicious food?

"This week is her birthday, how about celebrating in XXX?"

"Next week is his last day at work, how about a goodbye 'makan-makan' session at XXX?"

"Next month is festive season so we gotta do a gathering. Steamboat? Barbeque?"

Doesn't all the of conversations above sound very common? Well, if you are a true foodie I bet you've uttered some of those words before because I know I have. Anyway, the search for a great place to stop for food for a Malaysian is an unending journey, so while at it how about adding another restaurant into your list?

Wondermama to me is not something unfamiliar because I often stop by their Avenue K branch once in awhile for dinner or just for a drink while catching up with friends. So when I got invited by Wondermama to test taste their menus and drinks, I was very excited! There is no way I would say no to good food especially when I already have an idea how sumptuous the dishes are in Wondermama. To my surprise, it was a king's meal served to us that night. With a total of twenty three different menus and drinks (yeah believe me), I went home with a overly happy stomach.

For the review, I went to another Wondermama branch which is located in Bangsar Village. Upon entering the premise, the first floor of the restaurant were already filled with customers so instead of joining the crowds, we bloggers were lead to the more quite and empty second floor area which is a space designated for special occasions and reservations.

The interior of Wondermama as quoted from their website is 'a mix of colonial design and industrial chic, creating an atmosphere full of old charm and contemporary simplicity'.

My personal favourite is this one charming corner on the second floor of the restaurant (the reservation section) with displays of cute vintage posters on the wall and stacks of colourful bowls placed in a cupboard right below. A cute flowery standing lamp is placed in between the two rows of table made the space feels a lot more homey. The yellow lighting gives off a more romantic and private atmosphere too. For walk in customers, you can choose either to dine inside of the restaurant or opt for a more airy outdoor space on the side of the restaurant.

The New Dishes

Moving on to the foods, in the first part of the food tasting session we were served with six new menus from Wondermama. The 'Peranakan Fish and Chips' is what they call their interpretation of the British classic but with a interesting twist. Instead of just a simple battered fish, they deep fried homemade otak-otak (Malaysian traditional food made of ground fish meat mixed with tapioca starch and spices) and served it with fries and tar tar sauce. The crispy outer part and the well seasoned otak-otak paste on the inside made me end up wanting more! The dipping sauce was actually the most unique part of this dish; instead of using just the plain tar tar sauce Wondermama chef came up with their own secret Wasabi Tar Tar sauce recipe that complement the fried otak-otak really well. It was to my absolute delight that the very first menu I tried ended up to be my top favourite of all, mainly because if the surprising yet splendid flavour.

The second dish I tried on that night is another 'otak-otak' inspired food which was the 'Otak-Otak Crullers'. It's actually an otak-otak flavoured yau char kwai (also known by a Malay-nized name 'cakoi' by some people) that comes with a sweet and spicy dipping sauce. Personally, the dipping sauce left a greater impression on me compared to the yau char kwai itself. But for a quick snacking during tea time, this menu is worth a try especially eaten when its still hot and crispy.

We were then served with yet another unique dish from Wondermama which was the 'Sotong Sumbat'. It's a fun menu where freshly cooked Tom Yum fried rice is stuffed inside of a squid and then seared in Wondermama's spicy sambal. Comes with a side of mixed salad and the same dipping sauce served in the Otak-Otak Crullers, the squid were not tough at all and were very easy to eat. The flavour of Tom Yum fried rice harmonized well with the spicy squid sambal. This dish were one of the most loved menu that night among the bloggers.

Being a restaurant inspired by Malaysian traditional delicacies and multicultural foods, one of the new dish in Wondermama is called 'Ibu's Rojak Buah'. The name is literally self explanatory which means a dish based on Malaysian favourite rojak buah but of course with a bit of Wondermama's twist; fresh assorted fruits, crunchy bean sprout, nutty peanut, crispy yar char kwai served in a natural banana blossom bowl and topped with special rojak sauce. The sauce is a bit spicy but well balanced with enough sweetness which eat bite will make you keep reaching for more.

The fourth menu that we tried was the 'Chicken Satay' served with satay sauce and slices of fresh cucumber and red onion. Unlike the conventional chicken satay which usually a grilled pre-marinade chicken meat, Wondermama's chicken satay has more depth in it's flavouring. The unique part is that the chicken were first made into paste mixed with different spices and then molded to shape around a skewer. Definitely a must try for satay lover!

Next on the list is a very delicious 'Kerabu Ayam'. Made from shredded chicken breast and served in a bed of lettuce, the kerabu was well mixed with local herbs and Wondermama's kerabu dressing with a hint taste of belacan. If you are ordering something like a fried rice, having this kerabu as a side is a splendid choice as the flavours undoubtly helped to increase my appetite even more. I was not into kerabu ayam before but this dish totally changed my mind.I especially love the thinly sliced ginger flower/torch ginger bud (bunga kantan) in it, it made the dish more fragrant. Bear in mind that there are little slices of bird eye chili (cili padi) somewhere mixed so for those who can't really eat spicy food make sure to take it out before eating!

Unfortunately the next two new menu didn't impress me as much, merely from the fact that the smoked duck used in both these dishes were a tad too strong to my palate. The smokiness of the duck were overpowering and made my nose hurt a little which was a real turn down especially when I really love how soft the duck meat slices were. 'Bibik's Itik' is a dish with sliced smoked duck breast on satay sauce and served with sliced wing beans, cucumber slices and micro herbs while 'Mum's Secret Duck' is a dish of sliced smoked duck breast, crunchy keropok (fish crackers), nutty peanuts and mixed salad topped with homemade Thai chili dressing. I actually like the overall idea of the duck salad and if the strong smokiness from the duck slices can be reduced this dish would definitely be one of my favourite.Wondermama's Signature Menu

Moving on to Wondermama's signature dishes, we were presented with a total of four different dishes which were the WM Black Spider Fried Rice, Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam, Ibu's Mee Siam and Mum's Nyonya Laksa.

'WM Black Spider Fried Rice' is a fusion food inspired from the theme of Malaysia meet Japan. The fried rice was served with a crispy soft-shell crab, vegetables and black ebiko. The dish was then served with a mayo topping. Another crowd favourite, this dish was a top contender for my most favourite signature dish of the night.

My favourite signature dish for the night was the tangy and mouth watering 'Ibu's Mee Siam'. This dish is the essence of the peranakan’s flavours with rice vermicelli noodles, ikan bilis, julienne omelette and fresh aromatic herbs, tossed in ibu’s sambal belacan. I love the overall taste that keeps making me want more! Even recalling the taste while writing this make me starts salivating in the middle of the night. Definitely something I'd go for a second time.

If you are someone who is into prawn, 'Mum's Nyonya Laksa' would be something that you will love. The creamy and aromatic spicy coconut broth along with the prawn, slices of fishcakes, bean sprout, cucumber and cockles harmonize really well. I really love the sambal topping on the dish and the fact that we can choose the type of noodles we want with it.

The last signature dish we got to try that night was Wondermama's version of Malaysian all time favourite nasi lemak. The 'Nasi Lemak Rendang Ayam' came in a platter of coconut rice served in baby shrimp sambal petai, stir-fried kangkung (so happy about this), hard boiled egg, deep fried ikan bilis (anchovies) along with fork-tender chicken rendang. There was nothing else to complain about this dish except for the sambal which was less spicier than I would love it to be. I really like the fact that they serve stir fried kangkung with their nasi lemak because it reminds me of my favourite nasi lemak I used to eat when I was younger. The chicken rendang was true to it's claim being fork-tender because it was really soft and easy to eat!Desserts for the Sweet Tooth!

After twelve dishes, I thought my stomach was too full that I couldn't manage to take anymore food. Well, that was before they told us that they were serving desserts. You see, I will always have room for desserts. Who doesn't like those sweet stuffs that make us gain weight right? Haha joking? Not joking. :P

Even with desserts Wondermama was generous! We were served with four different types of desserts, all of them available in both Wondermama current branch except for the Nana Tella which is only available in Bangsar. But really, that stuff was so good I don't actually mind travelling a bit further from my home just to have that finger licking goodness.

'Nana Tella' is basically a pastry made from crispy pizza base and the inside is filled with Nutella and slices of banana. I think the chef did told us that they used the Lady Finger Banana (or locally known as Pisang Emas) for the filling; I hope I didn't remember it wrong. The portion for one platter is quite big so even with sharing with another person, you still can feel full with it. It came with two scoops of Vanilla ice-cream which was served in a glass, so double the bliss!

I am a hugeeeee fan of the infamous king of fruits so when we got served with this quirky dessert called 'Durian Krep', I was brimming in happiness. Why quirky? Because Wondermama chose to serve it in a classic tin mug (or we Malaysian like to call Kole) instead of just using the boring old plate. To make it even more fun, the addition of Vanilla ice-cream and the crispy cornflakes on top of the fresh durian crepe is really something I approve of. #ThumbsUp ! I am pretty sure I'd be able to finish a mug by myself next time I went to visit (don't blame me, durian is my favourite fruit).

For coffee lover, you could also try out the Wondermama's version of classic affogato or they like to call it the 'I-for-got-to Smile' (yes, pun intended). Topped with red beans and marshmallow and drizzle it with the coffee, I think this is a great choice for a short chit chat with friends or even as a 'second round' option after a full meal. Do you think I'm being a bit lenient on the desserts so far? But seriously, what can really go wrong with desserts? *Not biased, LOL*

Last dessert I had for the night was the 'Pisang De Goreng' which basically banana fritters served with ice cream, drizzled in caramel sauce. The difference was that instead of just normal banana fritters we used to buy from the street hawkers, Wondermama's chef coated the banana with sesame seed and almond and that made the fritters taste even more crunchier and nutty! Make sure to eat them as soon as they are served because the different texture of the hot and crunchy fritters and the soft and sweet ice-cream will definitely bring you temporarily into a foodie heaven :)

Thirst Quenchers: Drinks

We tried seven different drinks that night; five of them are the new upcoming drinks which would probably will be available mid August. The other two are Wondermama's signature drinks which are well loved by the crowds. The classic '3 Layers Bandung' is definitely recommended for those who like to play safe but personally I love love love the '7-Asam Boi' (notice the emphasize on 'love') which was 7Up jazzed with preserved plum.

My top two favourite from their new drinks creation was the 'Frozen Asian Lychee' and the 'Sparkling Lychee Lemonade'. I guess I just love drinks with lychees in it :) I had a hard time trying to figure out the delicious yet oddly familiar taste from the jellies that were featured in all the new drinks just to find out that it's a Ribena jellies made specially by Wondermama. It was so good that I wished they would actually sell the jellies itself.

The 'Sparkling Passion Lemonade' is a twin of the lychee version of the same drink. The difference in taste was that the lychee one was a bit more sour than the passion fruit version. Still, I would gladly drink this one too if they ran out of lychees (which I pray would never happen, lol). The only thing I remember from the 'Passion Shaken Tea' and 'Teh Lapis Lychee' was the strong taste of the tea itself . They were different and worth a try although at that point of the night I'm already too hooked on the top three drinks that I mentioned above.

So yeah, that covered all of the foods and drinks I had on that night and this post is now officially the longest food review I have ever written in this blog (probably in my life too because where else would I pour my heart to talk about foods other than here right?). If you managed to read every words I've written above, I applaud you and really, thank you for taking the time reading *shooting hearts*

TL;DR (too long; don't read)

In overall Wondermama is really a nice place to come and try out foods. I love the ambiance and interior design of both of their branches and I love the varieties of modernized fusion Malaysian food that they have. Definitely a place I would return to especially if I'm craving for a durian crepe or their version of otak-otak deep fried snack. The price range is affordable and some of their food portions are big enough for people with 'small stomach' so if they want to opt to sharing the food with another person, it would still be okay.

Thanks again to The Butterfly Project Malaysia and Wondermama for such a pleasant dining experience and for such a warm welcome towards us. I can't wait for the new drinks to come out so I can have my favourite Ribena jellies again. For more information you can visit their website wondermama.co to find out the location and browse on some other menu available or like their Facebook Page facebook.com/mywondermama to follow up on latest promotions.